Mom Has Brutally Honest Response to Portrayal of Autism in New TV Series

“The A Word,” the hotly-anticipated U.K. television series about a boy with autism and his family, premieres Tuesday on BBC. While a number of media outlets have been lauding the program for tackling a subject seldom addressed by the entertainment industry, calling it a “beautifully believable drama,” one mom has spoken out about the show’s portrayal of autism.

Karen Rockett, whose 6-year-old son Elwood has autism, wrote a brief letter to the Mirror, stating that she will watch the show, but she doesn’t exactly relate because her son is nonverbal. She goes on to point out that children like her son, who may never live independently, likely won’t ever be the subject of such shows because they don’t “make for good television.”